Recent research in Mulobezi District by the Livingstone Museum yielded at least 12 different species of bats, most of which are new records for the area. Bats are one of the most diverse group of mammals and they play an important role in the ecosystem. Fruit-eating bats help in seed dispersal, pollination and reforestation, while insect-eating bats help control various insect pests. There are nearly 80 different types of bats in Zambia, but a lot is still to be known about their distribution. The information collected will be added to the upcoming Atlas of Zambian Bats currently being prepared by the Mammalogy Section. The research team – Clare Mateke, Maggie Mwale and Kenneth Kambimbi – and the Livingstone Museum, are grateful to the local authorities in the area for allowing us to carry out this important research.
Angolan Free-tailed BatSetting up netsRecording measurements of bats capturedPeters’ Epauletted Fruit BatSetting up netsVariegated Butterfly BatRecording data from a captured batWhite-bellied Free-tailed Bat
The Livingstone Museum has active research departments. The Natural History Department has been carrying out biannual waterbird monitoring in Livingstone under Wetlands International’s African-Eurasian Waterfowl Census programme since 1993. The results are sent to a central coordinator who compiles them on behalf of Wetlands International. Every year in both the wet season and the dry season, a count is carried out at 6 sites in the Livingstone-Victoria Falls area. Volunteers are invited to join in, and the activity attracts both amateur and expert birders from within and beyond the local community. We are particularly grateful to our long-term partners in this project, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Savannah Southern Safaris and Taonga Safaris. If you are interested in joining in or finding out more about this programme, please get in touch with our Ornithologist, Maggie Mwale.
